Whitetails: What's in your pack?

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Captainkirk
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Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#1 Post by Captainkirk »

Well, the deer hunting magazines will tell you you need one of everything, including the kitchen sink....
But what do you consider 'essential' items, and more importantly WHY?
Please list each item one at a time, along with any information or stories about why you consider this essential....
Aim small, miss small!

Captainkirk
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#2 Post by Captainkirk »

Field dressing knife:
Most of the knives you see at the "big box stores" are as big as the stores themselves (well, not really, but you get the picture!). Sure, they might be great for goin' all Jim Bridger on that grumpy ol' grizz, but you REALLY gonna try and dress out that little doe with it?
I find a very short blade...4 inches or under...with a fairly wide blade back that you can get your index finger on and flick it about is so very handy. I also prefer some sort of a non-slip handle as well; deer innards can get downright slippery, believe it or not. When you're trying to maneuver that big ol' machete around inside Bambi's chest cavity, well...you might be thinkin' I told ya so.
I like a knife I can hold with my finger on the back of the blade and flick it around like a butterfly. There's usually quite a bit of diaphragm that needs liberating from the chest cavity, and the butcher knives just don't do the trick for me.

Here is my little 'flicker'...a Kershaw Ken Onion Scallion
Image

Note the recess with ridges where I can put my forefinger and control the direction of the blade:
Image
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Carpdaddy
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#3 Post by Carpdaddy »

Flashlight. I usually hunt evenings and am not one to come out of a tree early. A good quality flashlight is essential, I usually have a spare. Amazing how compact yet effective they have become these days. I have a little clip on the bill of your cap light that's so small and light that you don't notice it, and that little thing is around 50 luminous! Have another in my pack that has the headstrap, this is for when wearing one of those weird trad hats. That thing is either 150 or 250 luminous, very bright! Keep another in my truck that's about 1" diameter and 4" long, and that little rascal is 500 luminous, you could spotlight with that little feller! (Joke, strongly opposed to that) It's handy when you arrive at your truck after dark and there stands your buddy waiting for you to help track one.

Captainkirk
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#4 Post by Captainkirk »

Carpdaddy wrote:Flashlight. I usually hunt evenings and am not one to come out of a tree early. A good quality flashlight is essential, I usually have a spare. Amazing how compact yet effective they have become these days. I have a little clip on the bill of your cap light that's so small and light that you don't notice it, and that little thing is around 50 luminous! Have another in my pack that has the headstrap, this is for when wearing one of those weird trad hats. That thing is either 150 or 250 luminous, very bright! Keep another in my truck that's about 1" diameter and 4" long, and that little rascal is 500 luminous, you could spotlight with that little feller! (Joke, strongly opposed to that) It's handy when you arrive at your truck after dark and there stands your buddy waiting for you to help track one.
Yes, I was going to mention that next! Thank you! I have a tiny little Streamlight LED flashlight that runs on 1 AAA cell that is brighter than the sun. (well, OK, maybe I exaggerate a little, but...) Here is a pic in the palm of my hand so you can see the relative size. Nice thing about it, if you need both hands you can clip it to the brim of your hat, or pop it in your mouth if need be.
I think I paid like 40-something bucks, but I use it every single day and it's always on me, at work, at home or in the field. Invaluable and essential!
Image
Can you throw up a few pics of yours, Tony?
Aim small, miss small!

Captainkirk
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#5 Post by Captainkirk »

Water, or bottled water and a snack item
Easy to overlook (and forget as well) but pretty essential, especially if you are hiking in any distance. Keeping hydrated is essential. A little snack item doesn't hurt, either. A small candy bar, granola bar or other non=odorous food can be a lifesaver on a long day, especially when your core temp drops and you start shivering uncontrollably.
Charles Alsheimer (Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine) has often recommended apple slices in a ziploc bag to suck on while on stand. Makes the hunger pangs go away and eliminates bad breath odors (yes, deer can smell that salami sandwich you're urping up!) I've used this for a number of years now. Hunts (especially ALL DAY hunts) can seem like an eternity when nothing is moving. A little snack and water break can help break the monotony.
Aim small, miss small!

Kybownut
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#6 Post by Kybownut »

Phone, we don't think about it much, or prolly don't want to but it's easy to have a freak accident whether your climbing a tree or even ground hunting. Having a way to contact someone could save you a lot of suffering or maybe even your life. And the camera may come in handy to take a pic of your bow laying next to the deer you kill. And as much as we all like to be macho men let someone the general area you'll be hunting in case that freak accident does happen. HAPPY HUNTING AND BE SAFE !

Captainkirk
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#7 Post by Captainkirk »

Good points, Johnny. I once read of a guy who fell asleep in his stand and woke up on the ground with one leg broken and his broadhead through the other one. He had to crawl to his truck over a mile away. Took two days and he spent one night in the woods listening to the wolves trail him. This was back in the mid-'90s, not the 1800's. He could not drive with the broken leg so he sat in his truck and flashed his brights at oncoming traffic until somebody stopped. A cell phone could prevent that from happening these days.
Just remember to silence the ringer BEFORE you leave the house.
Aim small, miss small!

Carpdaddy
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#8 Post by Carpdaddy »

Funny one Kirk about turning volume down on your phone. I laughed because I have forgot and got calls while hunting. My ring tone is Turkey Gobble so wasn't too bad, maybe should change it to Deer grunt.

Captainkirk
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#9 Post by Captainkirk »

Pull rope. If you are stand hunting, you'd better not forget this item. #1 bugaboo of stand hunting is climbing/sitting without a harness. #2 is climbing with a bow and a quiver full of broadhead tipped arrows over your shoulder. Bad juju. Don't forget the pull rope.
Aim small, miss small!

Carpdaddy
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Re: Whitetails: What's in your pack?

#10 Post by Carpdaddy »

Don't normally use a pull rope, used one the last few hunts because of the question on how high I climb, my rope has footage markers on it. I have some of those twist tie thingy's that stays in the shape you bend it in. Twist it on the outside of my climber and up we go together. As for broadheads, my quiver is mounted on the other side of my stand and out of the way, it goes up with me even if the bow don't. Guess I need to take pictures to explain better, will try to do that on my next hunt if I don't forget.

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